Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, yet relatively easy to detect. Despite these two factors, many people still ignore the signs of skin cancer until it has developed into a far more troublesome predicament. Fortunately, with just a small amount of education, you can put yourself in the position to catch signs of skin cancer early. If skin cancer is caught early, it is fairly treatable.

Identifying the Signs

The most important aspect of fighting skin cancer is simply noticing its presence. The most efficient way for recognizing areas of concern is using the “ABCDE” of skin cancer. This acronym stands for asymmetry, borders, color, diameter and evolution. Essentially you should be assessing if the following aspects apply to the abnormal area:

• the area is asymmetric in shape
• the borders are uneven
• the color is different from one area to another
• the diameter is above 6mm
• the area has changed appearance over a period of time

This could be a growth, a mole or birthmark that increases in size and changes shape, a spot that continues to be agitated or an open sore that does not heal within three weeks. These are the signs you will be searching for as you perform a self skin check.

Next Steps

There are different forms of skin cancer, each with their own associated signs. For general purposes, The Skin Cancer Foundation provides a simplified guideline to spotting signs of skin cancer. While performing a self skin check, if you see something new, changing or unusual, then you should seek care from a dermatology provider in order to receive a proper diagnosis.

At Sensus Healthcare, we provide superficial radiation technology to physicians for the efficient, safe, and scar-less removal of non-melanoma skin cancer. If you are a patient or a physician looking to learn more about superficial radiation technology for treating non-melanoma skin cancer, please contact us for more information.